Technologies

Is Apple’s AirDrop Not Working? Try These Solutions

AirDrop is a convenient way to transfer photos and files between Apple devices, but sometimes it fails. Here are some quick tips for troubleshooting the issue.

AirDrop has long been a fast and easy way for Apple users to transfer files between devices. When enabled, you can easily share photos, documents, videos, audio recordings, contact cards, web links, notes and more between iPads, iPhones and Macs. AirDrop lets you easily move files across your own devices, but you can also use it to transfer them to nearby contacts (as long as they have iOS or MacOS). It works with any iOS device with iOS 7 or newer and Macs running OS X Yosemite or newer.

For a detailed explanation of how to use AirDrop, check out our guide here. But even if you follow these steps, sometimes AirDrop can fail. Here are a few possible reasons why it’s not working.

Bluetooth or Wi-Fi isn’t on

AirDrop uses both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to discover devices and share files. So both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi need to be turned on in order for it to work. If even one of the connections is disabled, AirDrop will not work. If you’re having trouble with either of these connections, you can try toggling these features off and on again. To do so, simply head to Settings or Control Center and enable both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Personal Hotspot is enabled

If your phone or tablet’s Personal Hotspot feature is turned on, that might prevent AirDrop from working. Make sure that’s disabled and make sure that the other device also has it turned off. A VPN connection might also create issues with AirDrop. If you’re using a VPN, make sure that local networking is allowed. Otherwise, try disabling it in case you’re having issues with AirDrop.

AirDrop is set to Receiving Off

Another reason AirDrop might not be working is that your AirDrop settings are incorrect. If you have it as «Receiving Off,» no one can AirDrop files to you. To correct this, you need to do the following:

Open the Control Center panel
Tap the wireless connection icon
Tap the AirDrop icon
Choose Contacts Only or Everyone for 10 Minutes

The «Contacts Only» option only works with people saved in your contacts while the «Everyone» option opens your phone to the public for 10 minutes. We wouldn’t advise choosing the latter unless you really trust the people around you. If the person you want to AirDrop with isn’t in your contacts yet, it might be best to save them as a contact first before doing the AirDrop. Otherwise, the Everyone option is all right if you’re in a relatively private location. Just make sure that it switches back to a more private option after the transfer ends.

Your contact doesn’t include their Apple ID

If you had set the AirDrop preference set to «Contacts Only,» then both parties need to have each other’s Apple ID email address or mobile number set up in the Contacts app in order to work. If that’s not working, then you can just use the Everyone option to AirDrop the file.

One of the devices is locked

If one of the devices is locked or powered off, then AirDrop will not work. AirDrop won’t see a locked device as an available device for sending something. Make sure the receiving iPhone, iPad or Mac is unlocked and powered on so that AirDrop can recognize it.

The devices are too far apart

Since AirDrop uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to transfer files, the two devices need to be within Bluetooth range of each other, which is often 30 feet. Try placing the two devices as close to each other as possible to minimize any errors. In iOS 18, the transfers can continue over the internet even if the initial connection is lost, so you could move apart after the process has already started.

Incompatible hardware

AirDrop only works with iOS and MacOS products, not with Android or PC products. Android does have Quick Share, which functions similarly to AirDrop.

It’s also possible that you are trying to AirDrop files that are particularly large, like 4K video files. If that’s the case, check out this guide for transferring large videos from your iPhone to a Mac using the Image Capture tool on MacOSO.

Technologies

Wisconsin Reverses Decision to Ban VPNs in Age-Verification Bill

The law would have required websites to block VPN users from accessing «harmful material.»

Following a wave of criticism, Wisconsin lawmakers have decided not to include a ban on VPN services in their age-verification law, making its way through the state legislature.

Wisconsin Senate Bill 130 (and its sister Assembly Bill 105), introduced in March 2025, aims to prohibit businesses from «publishing or distributing material harmful to minors» unless there is a reasonable «method to verify the age of individuals attempting to access the website.»

One provision would have required businesses to bar people from accessing their sites via «a virtual private network system or virtual private network provider.»

A VPN lets you access the internet via an encrypted connection, enabling you to bypass firewalls and unblock geographically restricted websites and streaming content. While using a VPN, your IP address and physical location are masked, and your internet service provider doesn’t know which websites you visit.

Wisconsin state Sen. Van Wanggaard moved to delete that provision in the legislation, thereby releasing VPNs from any liability. The state assembly agreed to remove the VPN ban, and the bill now awaits Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’s signature.

Rindala Alajaji, associate director of state affairs at the digital freedom nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation, says Wisconsin’s U-turn is «great news.»

«This shows the power of public advocacy and pushback,» Alajaji says. «Politicians heard the VPN users who shared their worries and fears, and the experts who explained how the ban wouldn’t work.»

Earlier this week, the EFF had written an open letter arguing that the draft laws did not «meaningfully advance the goal of keeping young people safe online.» The EFF said that blocking VPNs would harm many groups that rely on that software for private and secure internet connections, including «businesses, universities, journalists and ordinary citizens,» and that «many law enforcement professionals, veterans and small business owners rely on VPNs to safely use the internet.»

VPNs can also help you get around age-verification laws — for instance, if you live in a state or country that requires age verification to access certain material, you can use a VPN to make it look like you live elsewhere, thereby gaining access to that material. As age-restriction laws increase around the US, VPN use has also increased. However, many people are using free VPNs, which are fertile ground for cybercriminals.

In its letter to Wisconsin lawmakers prior to the reversal, the EFF argued that it is «unworkable» to require websites to block VPN users from accessing adult content. The EFF said such sites cannot «reliably determine» where a VPN customer lives — it could be any US state or even other countries.

«As a result, covered websites would face an impossible choice: either block all VPN users everywhere, disrupting access for millions of people nationwide, or cease offering services in Wisconsin altogether,» the EFF wrote.

Wisconsin is not the only state to consider VPN bans to prevent access to adult material. Last year, Michigan introduced the Anticorruption of Public Morals Act, which would ban all use of VPNs. If passed, it would force ISPs to detect and block VPN usage and also ban the sale of VPNs in the state. Fines could reach $500,000.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Feb. 21 #720

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Feb. 21, No. 720.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle might be easy for those who pursue a certain hobby. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: The beer necessities.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Cheers!

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

MALE, TREAT, STEAM, TEAM, MOVE, LOVE, ROVE, ROVER, SPEAR, PEAR

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

HOPS, WATER, MALT, YEAST, BARLEY, SUGAR, WHEAT, FLAVOR

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is HOMEBREW. To find it, start with the H that’s three letters to the right on the top row, and wind down.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Feb. 21, #986

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Feb. 21 #986.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle features another of those purple categories where you need to look for hidden words inside of other words. It can be a real stumper. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Rookies don’t have this.

Green group hint: Call the roll.

Blue group hint: How’d you do today?

Purple group hint: Vroom-vroom, but with a twist.